Debt may trump love, poll finds

If the answer on Valentine's Day is "I will" the next question might be, "How much do you
owe?"

A National Foundation for Credit Counseling poll found that many people would have serious
reservations about taking on the debt of the person they love. Some would even dump the person.

While 46 percent said they would be willing to marry and jointly pay off the debt, 37 percent
said they wouldn't get married until the debt was paid, 10 percent would get married, but not help
pay the debt, and 7 percent said they would end the relationship.

It's easy to see why some people might be hesitant to take on a spouse with big debt. Financial
stress is a major factor for why so many marriages end up on the rocks.

There's another factor as well. Big debt can hurt credit scores and make it more difficult to
buy a home or car or even get a job.